As the 2008-2009 school year comes to a close, teachers and students across the state cope with the fact that many of the academic programs wrapping up this year may not recommence in the fall.

At The Mary E. Silveira Elementary School in San Rafael, emotions of faculty and students were mixed as SEI celebrated another successful year of the ACE program while recognizing the limited prospect of continuing the program in the future due to school budget cuts.

As the 5th grade students were told that their environmental education might be eliminated, emotions ran high. Students expressed sadness and anger, and then joined together and decided they wanted to do something about it. Teachers fancied that the activism was itself a product of the empowerment endowed to students through their environmental education program, through such lessons that informed them not only about environmental issues but likewise about solutions. As one student put it, it was hard for them to envision a future without environmentally educated individuals, and they were determined to do something about it.

In an effort to make their voices heard, students agreed to each submit a letter to an elected official of their choice, pleading for support of their cause: to increase school budgets so that they can continue their environmental education.

Read the students’ letters.